diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -29,18 +29,16 @@ XPI_PKGNAME            = chatzilla-$(CHA
 include $(topsrcdir)/config/config.mk
 
 # always build en-US locale, add build locale if supported
 BUILD_LOCALES = en-US
 ifneq (,$(filter $(AB_CD),$(shell cat $(srcdir)/locales/all-locales)))
 BUILD_LOCALES += $(AB_CD)
 endif
 
-DIRS += ff sm
-
 DEFINES += -DCHATZILLA_VERSION=$(CHATZILLA_VERSION)
 
 include $(topsrcdir)/config/rules.mk
 
 libs realchrome:: locales/Makefile
 	@$(EXIT_ON_ERROR)                    \
 	for locale in $(BUILD_LOCALES); do   \
 	  $(MAKE) -C locales AB_CD=$$locale; \
diff --git a/ff/moz.build b/ff/moz.build
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ff/moz.build
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# vim: set filetype=python:
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
diff --git a/locales/Makefile.in b/locales/Makefile.in
--- a/locales/Makefile.in
+++ b/locales/Makefile.in
@@ -17,16 +17,18 @@ XPI_NAME               = chatzilla
 USE_EXTENSION_MANIFEST = 1
 NO_JAR_AUTO_REG        = 1
 INSTALL_EXTENSION_ID   = {59c81df5-4b7a-477b-912d-4e0fdf64e5f2}
 XPI_PKGNAME            = chatzilla-$(CHATZILLA_VERSION)
 
 # include config.mk before we override the AB_CD var it sets
 include $(topsrcdir)/config/config.mk
 
+STANDALONE_MAKEFILE := 1
+
 # if the wanted language is not in all-locales, fall back to en-US
 ifeq (,$(filter $(AB_CD),$(shell cat $(srcdir)/all-locales)))
 override AB_CD = en-US
 endif
 
 DEFINES += -DAB_CD=$(AB_CD)
 
 ifneq (en-US,$(AB_CD))
diff --git a/locales/moz.build b/locales/moz.build
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/locales/moz.build
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# vim: set filetype=python:
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
diff --git a/makefiles.sh b/makefiles.sh
deleted file mode 100755
--- a/makefiles.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-#! /bin/sh
-# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
-# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
-# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
-
-add_makefiles "
-  extensions/irc/Makefile
-  extensions/irc/locales/Makefile
-"
diff --git a/moz.build b/moz.build
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/moz.build
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# vim: set filetype=python:
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+DIRS += [
+    'ff',
+    'sm',
+]
+
+CONFIGURE_SUBST_FILES += ['locales/Makefile']
+
diff --git a/sm/moz.build b/sm/moz.build
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sm/moz.build
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# vim: set filetype=python:
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+